Guide clamp for flush valves



Feb. 23, 1954 o. STADER GUIDE CLAMP FOR FLUSH VALVES Filed 001;. 29, 1952 Patented Feb. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLAW FOR FLUSH Otto Stader, Ardmore, Pa. slipli'catidn'octo'ber zs, 1952, Se'rialNd. 317,455

'4' Claims.

1 r present invention relates 'tonew and-"useful improvements in guide el'ampsfor flush-v ves and more particularly to newegnd useful improvenients in adju'sirible guiiie clam s which mey be positioned about and secured 'to overflow ipes of difiereii t diameters.

Prior to the present invention, guide clamps were revide'd which had a fixed internal diameterend'womdomy fitabout overflow pi es havmgthe s'ame-diameter; IS the overflow had a smaller diameter, the guide-clamp would not fit properly but the clamp and clamp tightening means would engage merely a "portien of the periphery of the overflow pipe "and no-provision F1" been madem prior giiide clamps for flush vatves to" tighten the blame ahout the overflow pipe to 's'udh an extent that the clamp engages theentireperi herypf the overflow" ipe, thereby distributing ressure and Wear on the overflow pipe about its entire periphery. I

with tne fereg'oin in mind, the principal or je'ct efthepresent invention-ism provideanovel guide clamp for flush valves which ie -adjustable and: may be positioned about ovei'1"l'o\t" pipes of diameters;

Anotherph'ject of the present invention isto previcree neveradjflstablei'gdi ide" clemp for velves which will engage: the l-ltil periphery of the overflow pipe regardless of the "diameter of the overflow pipe;-

A still further"oo'ject (if the present invention isto provide a-novelguide clamp for flushvalves havmg the features and :characteri'stieSsetforthwhieh may be manufaetured easily and cheaply and is entirely eflicient and effective iii-operation l.

and use.

, 'T'iiese and other objects of theepresentinventionand the various festur'esenai details of the operation and edi'fstruction trier f elr'e' hereiuafter" more" fully set "fert'n and" described with taken mime s -she. 2?, illustrating'th mates of securing the guide sleeve to the clamp miii her: and F'igJG is a plan view of the blank from"wliifi the flush valve guide clamp is formed.

l'te'fe'rrin'g more specifically to the drawings and particularly Fig. 1 thereof, the present invention isshown in conjunction with a conventi'r-i'al water closet, designated generally by r'e'fer'er i numeral [0, which comprises atank -Il havin'g'a-fi outlet "pipe 12 in the base portion thereer; The outletpipe [2 is secured to a valve sleeve [3 iii the base of the tank H andthe sleeve ['3 ismsvided at its upper end-with an annular walipertion which serves as a valve seat "for the -standard r-Siliht valve element [4. Communicating-with the-sleeve l3 and outlet pipe 12 is th'eusual overfi ow pipe 15 which prevents the tank H froifi overflowing. An operating lever i6 'ivetaiiy mountedon the forward face of thetank H and actuated by means of handle ll ceiitrols'the' new of water "in the tank in the usual n'iann'er'.

'Th'evalve element M is manufactured of a resilientma-terial such as rubber or plastic and has valve stem l8 extending vertically upware therefrom. A connectin link I9 secured an openihgih the operating lever l6 and having aifi eye portion ZO' Whi'ch encircles the valve "stemQ-IB, interconnects; the valve stem with th'e'ope ng levertoperm it the valve element ll to be e sieved fram -engagement with the" Valve seat iiphii actuation of thehandle f1. This is' s'tati'darcijtype of valve-end verve actuating mecnanismrdune ifi the usual water closet. 7

iii adeordafiee with the present invention, a; guideblaimp 22 is provided which is secured-"t6 tl' ie over fiow pipe I 5 and engagesthe' veive steiii 18 in order to guide the valve element 14 into engagement witl ithe verve "seat after actuation of the eper'etin lever 16; The guide clam 22 is to men from 'astrip of material or blah siidwn inr ig. 'ef whicfii is out "in two places as i dieeited at 23, '23 to form upper and lower t ps" or hands 713a, 24d and a central strap 2 4B'of greater width than the upper and lower straps. Thestreps or hands are then pressed outwardly from eac h'ot'her alternately at-o p'dsitesides 6f the blank into generally semi-circular shape so' that the upper and lower straps 2421', 2 jldexs tend outweraily at one side or the clamp while the' 'eeritial strap projects outwardly on the'opposit 'side'df the' clamp, thereby forming genera 1 "=cylin'd'iieell opening '25 which maybe pdsi timed-ebbinthe 'dver fiew pipe V5; The forward emit or each-ofthe straps is 'r'ev'ersely bent ti'pii itself with a relatively short radius to form a second generally cylindrical opening 26 forwardly adjacent the opening 25. The straps that form the openings 25 and 26 are joined together at both ends since the cuts or breaks 23 in the blank from which the guide clamp is formed terminate before they reach the end of the blank. By this construction, enlarging the opening 26 will cause the opening 25 to become smaller and accordingly, after the guide clamp is placed on the overflow pipe, it may be tightened therein by enlarging the opening 26. If desired, the blank may be stamped into its finished shape so that the cuts or breaks 23 in the blank and the openings 25 and 26 are formed in one operation.

An important feature of the present invention is the provision of means which may be inserted into the opening 26- in order to enlarge theopening 26 with a corresponding decrease in size of the Opening 25. In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, a tapered member 28 having screw threads thereon is provided which may be inserted into the opening 26 and rotated by means of a screw driver or other tool in order to enlarge the opening 26. The screw threads on the tapered member 28 engage the inner peripheral surface of the opening 26 and pull the tapered member 28 downwardly into the opening 26 upon clockwise rotation, thereby tightening the guide clamp 22 on the overflow pipe 15. In addition, any type of tapered pin may be used to decrease the size of the opening 25 as long as means are provided to draw or force the tapered pin into the opening 26.

The end of the blank for the guide clamp 22 opposite the openings 25 and 26 is twisted 90 as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and has an opening 3| provided at its extreme end portion in which a sleeve 32 is inserted. The upper end of the sleeve 32 is peened outwardly as shown in Fig. 5 to secure the sleeve 32 in the opening 3| and maintain the axis of sleeve 32 in predetermined spaced parallel relationship with the axis of the opening 25. The sleeve 32 receives the valve-stem [8 which is carried by the resilient valve I l and acts as a guide for the valve member to insure proper seating of the valve member after operation of the fiush valve.

From the foregoing, it will be observed the present invention provides a novel guide clamp for flush valves which may be secured to the usual overflow pipe and is adjustable to fit on overflow pipes of varying diameters. In addition, it will be apparent that the present invention provides a novel guide clamp for flush valves which may be manufactured easily and cheaply and is entirely eficient and efiective in operation and use. g

- -While a particular embodiment of th present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it is not intended to limit the invention to such a disclosure and changesand modifications may be incorporated and embodied therein within the scope of the following claims.

- Iclaim:

1. A guide clamp for the stems of flush valves and like elements comprising an elongated member having oppositely displaced strap portions of substantially semi-circular configuration adjacent one end of the member disposed in confronting complementary relation to eachother and defining a substantially circular first opening. to receive a supporting member for the clamp, said oppositely displaced strap portions terminating at their outer ends in reversely 4 formed smaller loop portions oppositely disposed with respect to each other in relatively superimposed coaxial relation and defining a second opening therethrough, and a tapered member engaged in said second opening and operabl the further it enters the second opening to expand said loop portions and thereby contract the said strap portions of the member and reduce the size of the opening defined by th strap portions. 2. A guide clamp for the stems of flush valves and like elements comprising an elongated member having oppositely displaced strap portions of substantially semi-circular configuration adjacent one end of the member disposed in confronting complementary relation to each other and defining a substantially circular first opening to receive a supporting member for the clamp, said oppositely displaced strap portions terminating at their outer ends in reversely formed smaller loop portions oppositely disposed with respect to each other in relatively superimposed coaxial relation and defining a second opening therethrough having its axis parallel to the axis of the first opening, a tapered member engaged in said second opening and operabl the further it enters the second opening to expand said loop portions and thereby contract the said strap portions of the member and reduce the siz of the opening defined by the strap portions, and means mounted in the other end portion of the member defining an opening therein having its axis disposed in the plane of the axes of the first and second openings in the first mentioned end portion of the member.

3. A guide clamp for the stems of flush valves and like elements comprising a fiat elongated member twisted intermedaite its ends to dispose its opposite end portions in different planes substantially at right angles to each other, oppositely displaced strap portions of substantially semi-circular configuration in one end portion of the member disposed in confronting complementary relation to each other and defining a substantially circular first opening to receiv a r supporting member for the clamp, said oppositely displaced strap portions terminating at their outer ends in reversely formed smaller loop portions oppositely disposed with respect to each other in relatively superimposed coaxial relation and defining a second opening therethrough having its axis parallel to the axis of the first opening, and a tapered member engaged in said second opening and operable the further it enters the second opening to expand said loop portions and thereby contract the said strap portion of the member and reduce the size of the openin defined by the strap portions.

4. A guide clamp for the stems of. fiush ,valves and like elements comprising a fiat elongated member twisted intermediate its ends to dispose. its opposite end portions in different planes substantially at right angles to each other, oppositely displaced strap portions of substantially semi-circular configuration in one end portion of the member disposed in confronting complementary relation to each other and defining a substantially circular first opening to receive a supporting member for the clamp, said oppositely displaced strap portions terminating at their outer ends in reversely formed smaller loop portions oppositely disposed with respect to each other in relatively superimposed coaxial relation and defining a second-opening ther'ethrough.hav--: ing its axis parallel to th axis of the first opens ing, a tapered member engaged in said second aeeonea 5 opening and operable the further it enters the second opening to expand said loop portions and thereby contract the said strap portions of the member and reduce the size of the opening defined by the strap portions, and a sleeve mounted in the other end portion of the member, the said sleeve having its axis disposed in the plane of the axes of the first and second openings in the first mentioned end portion of the member.

OTTO STADER.

References Cited in the file or this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Schulte Jan. 2, 1912 Lawrence Apr. 7, 1925 Lyons July 27, 1926 Graham Aug. 15, 1950 

